


Secret Santa 2018

by VidalsQueen



Category: Horizon: Zero Dawn (Video Game)
Genre: F/F, Fighting, Fluff, Fluff and Angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-30
Updated: 2018-12-30
Packaged: 2019-09-30 06:56:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,648
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17219081
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VidalsQueen/pseuds/VidalsQueen
Summary: Aloy and Vanasha take out an Eclipse base and have a moment afterwards.





	Secret Santa 2018

**Author's Note:**

  * For [atotalthrowawayaccount](https://archiveofourown.org/users/atotalthrowawayaccount/gifts).



“Huntress, I know you are good, but no one can make that shot. Let’s just sneak in and do this like we usually do. No sense in wasting good arrows trying to impress me.” 

Aloy shot Vanasha a scolding look. She knew she could make this shot, she’d done it before. Granted, then she had been showing off. Nil had told her pretty much the exact same thing. Now, she was determined to do it again. The alarm was in her sights. This time, it was the Eclipse that filled the camp below and not bandits, and while they were much more the skilled fighters, they still had their weaknesses. Arrogance being highest on that list. If she could knock out the alarm without any of them noticing, she’d already be one up on them. 

Aloy took in deep, settling breath and raised her bow. Aiming down her sights, she took a mental note of the wind direction, the displacement that would be caused once the arrow passed between the large slats of the wooden fence and her small but obvious target. There were also three men standing around the large fire to the left of the alarm. The risk here, if she missed, would be immediately alarming the ones standing just feet away from the one thing guaranteed to send dozens of Eclipse soldiers chasing after them. So, she could understand Vanasha’s hesitation. 

As the arrow flung from her bow, she knew without a doubt that the shot would land. The green smoke burst from within the hanging sack and no one standing around even turned to look. Her shot was silent. 

“Hardpoint Arrows? Good choice. Seems you are an excellent craftsman as well as a machine hunter, killer of the Eclipse, blah blah blah…” Vanasha waved her hand in the air, as if the list of Aloy’s accomplishments were too long to continue. 

Aloy wasn’t sure why she felt slighted by this simple gesture but her mood was beginning to sour. She had thought bringing Vanasha along on this hunt would be fun. But the girl was keen on making her prove herself before any merit was given and even then; she was almost reluctant to do so. Aloy never looked for praise, she’d learned long ago that she didn’t need it. She knew she was a skilled hunter and she knew not many could even come close to the things she’d accomplished in her short life, but there was something about Vanasha that made her want to showcase her skills, made her want to prove she was worthy of all stories told about her. 

She sighed and headed for the gates of the encampment. Already, she was missing Nil’s quips and gentle encouragement, his slight nudging to take the trick shots, his calm presence. She never thought that would be the case, given how on his best days, he tended to annoy her. But as they proceeded into the camp, she realized Vanasha didn’t know her MO. Instead of veering left as Aloy veered right, Vanasha stayed close behind her. Instead of taking out those on the ground while Aloy aimed high, she would take the shot best suited to her position. They didn’t move like the well-oiled machine that was her and Nil. Instead, there would be multiple arrows placed in the same bodies. And Vanasha had the audacity to tell her she was wasting arrows. 

They crested the hill of the encampment and Aloy flipped on her focus, only to see Vanasha moving ahead of her. She wanted to scream for her to wait, as Aloy picked up heavy weaponry ahead, but all that would do was alert the others around them. So, instead, she turned to follow the impatient girl. 

They slunk through the grass, making their way to the leader’s quarters. As Aloy got close, Vanasha turned to her, “Better to cut the snake’s head, wouldn’t you agree?”

Aloy shook her head in disapproval. Killing the leader would only bring more trouble. She always waited until the leader was alone. She didn’t like fighting someone with a cannon while others descended on her. She’d rather take out the ones with bows, then the ones with spears and then worry about the cannon fire. This was not the way it was supposed to go. Vanasha was following her own set of rules instead of letting Aloy lead them through. She was regretting ever bringing the girl along. She should have just come alone. Nil didn’t fight the Eclipse. Erend was stuck at the Palace. Vanasha had seemed the best choice for the job, yet, this was not what she had in mind when she asked her to join.

Now, they were stuck on this course of action, because just as Aloy was about to turn to accomplish her own tasks, Vanasha jumped from her place in the grass and embedded her knife into the leader’s side. 

With a roar of rage, the large man and the cannon turned on Aloy. She was deep in cover but that didn’t stop the man from taking a shot in the dark, hoping to hit whoever had just attacked him. Aloy was forced to roll out of the cover of the tall grass. Now, exposed as she was, she could see multiple bodies racing toward them.

“Now, this will be a fight.” Vanasha’s smile grew and grew as she took in their surroundings. 

Aloy couldn’t believe what she was seeing. Vanasha was enjoying this? Aloy prided herself on her stealth abilities; she worked on how best to avoid bloodshed and how to give those who deserved it, a clean death. This… this would turn into a full on battle, with senseless injury and more blood than she liked. And she could see the bloodlust in Vanasha’s eyes. She knew that smile all too well. It was the same smile Nil wore when they entered a bandit camp. 

She shook her head, realizing her mistake. This was an Eclipse camp and Vanasha hated the Eclipse, hated the Shadow Carja. She had seen this hate first hand as she and Vanasha had taken them on after liberating the Queen and her son. She remembered watching as Vanasha grinned with every felled body. She remembered Vanasha laughing as more and more got caught in her traps. 

Resigned to this fight, Aloy pulled her spear from her back and rushed into the fray.

 

Aloy hadn’t spoken to Vanasha for the entirety of their trek back to their small camp. She volleyed between searing anger and guilt over this excursion. She wasn’t really mad at Vanasha, more so at herself for not catching this error in judgment. Then, the guilt would rise. She should have known better. She should have thought about what this would do to her friend. She had only thought of spending more time with her, of trying to get to know her better. This was all one big mistake. Aloy was bad at this, she was aware of it but she thought showing off her skills to another Huntress would somehow draw them closer together. 

Now, the silence that stretched between them felt like a void she couldn’t cross, a barrier that refused to be breached. Every time she opened her mouth, words wouldn’t come and she would shake her head and turn back to her task. Vanasha would quirk her eyebrow and the slightest hint of a smile would stretch her lips. It went on like this for what seemed like hours before Vanasha finally spoke.

“Something on your mind, Little Huntress?” 

The words purred from her lips causing Aloy’s tummy to tighten and a fluttering sensation to spread through her body. It nearly made her shiver.

“Listen, I’m sorry for bringing you out here. I didn’t think about how it would affect you.” Aloy rubbed her palms against her face, trying not to look across the fire to her friend. She didn’t want to see any hint of resentment on her face, or possibly, she didn’t want to acknowledge the excitement in her playful eyes either. 

“Aloy, you worry too much.” Vanasha left her seat from the fireside and plopped herself down next to Aloy. “This is the way of things. Jiran assured that. Many followed the man blindly, out of faith or fear. What happened today was simply a result of fools following the foolish. I know that and you know that. There is no reason to fret over my feelings on the matter. I suffered, and I enjoy making those bastards pay. None of that is your doing.” She nudged Aloy in the side with her elbow. “Besides, I enjoyed watching you show off.” 

Aloy took a deep breath, ready to be offended, but when she turned to see Vanasha’s wide smile, the breath caught in her lungs. 

She giggled, pushing a braid behind Aloy’s ear. “You look so cute with that bewildered expression on your face.”

Aloy could feel the heat rising in her cheeks. She knew a telling blush was spreading down her neck. She tried to turn her face away but Vanasha captured her chin and pulled her closer. 

“Just say, no.” Vanasha’s voice was barely above a whisper. Aloy could feel the brush of her breath. 

Without another thought, Aloy leaned into the space separating them and Vanasha closed the distance. Her lips were swollen pillows, welcoming Aloy’s smaller, delicate ones. The kiss sent a jolt of lightning spreading through her entire body. 

When they parted, Aloy couldn’t stop the giggle that burst from her lips. Gone were the thoughts of fighting. Gone were the thoughts of guilt and anger. 

Vanasha simply shook her head and returned to her spot by the fire. It would take time before she broke through all of the little huntress’ barriers but she was willing to wait, no matter how long it took.


End file.
